Lee, Wyatt-Hodge power Hurricanes past rain and Heat for third straight win
Lizelle Lee's unbeaten 59 anchored Hobart Hurricanes' 16-run DLS win over Brisbane Heat in a rain-hit clash at Drummoyne Oval in Sydney on Saturday, extending their perfect start to WBBL 2025 and leaving Heat winless after three games.
Hurricanes, asked to bat first, were flying even before rain arrived. Lee struck six fours and three sixes in her 45-ball knock, controlling the innings across both the pre and post-PowerPlay phases of play. After a franchise-best opening best stand of 91 in the last game against sixers, Lee and Danni Wyatt-Hodge added 109 before the latter, who smashed 44 off 26, the stand ending only in the final over. When delay shortened the innings to 12 overs, Hurricanes had surged to 114 for 1.
Chasing a steep DLS target of 125, Heat slipped as regular wickets stalled their progress. Grace Harris (28 off 21) tried to keep them in touch with the rate, but Hurricanes' attack led by Molly Strano (2 for 17), Heather Graham (2 for 25) and Nicola Carey (2 for 10) proved too clever through the middle overs. A last-ball six from Sianna Ginger only carried Heat to 108 for 9.
The defeat marked Heat's third straight loss to start the season, while Hurricanes stayed on top with their third consecutive win.
Brief scores: Hobart Hurricanes 114/1 in 12 overs (Lizelle Lee 59*, Danni Wyatt-Hodge 44) beat Brisbane Heat 108/9 in 12 overs (Grace Harris 28; Molly Strano 2-17) by 16 runs [DLS Method]
Sixteen-year-old Caoimhe Bray took a hat-trick as the Sixers claimed the Sydney derby at the Drummoyne Oval with a comprehensive 24-run victory. Bray dismissed Thunder captain Phoebe Litchfield with the last ball of her second over and then dismissed Anika Learoyd and Laura Harris off the first two balls of her next as Sydney Thunder slipped to 42 for 6 in a chase of 142. Lucy Finn scored an unbeaten 49* off just 34 balls to reduce the eventual margin of defeat.
Thunder, looking for their first win of the season, opted to bowl and managed to prize out Ellyse Perry early in the innings. But Sophia Dunkley and Alyssa Healy put on a brisk 60-run partnership off just 35 balls. Healy struck two sixes and an equal number of fours before falling for a 15-ball 26. But like in the game against the Hurricanes, the dismissals of Healy and Dunkley (43 off 35) triggered a middle-order collapse as the Sixers quickly were reduced to 108 for 6. Mady Villiers scored a useful 19-ball 24* to take the total past 140.
Thunder were never in the chase once they lost Georgia Voll in the first over. Maitlan Brown dismissed Tahlia Wilson and Heather Knight in quick succession before the young Bray took over to rip apart the spine of the Thunder line-up. She added the wicket of Chamari Athapaththu to finish with figures of 4 for 15, keeping Thunder winless from three games while taking her own side to second place in the standings.
Brief scores: Sydney Sixers 142/9 in 20 overs (Sophia Dunkley 43; Shabnim Ismail 3-27) beat Sydney Thunder 118/8 in 20 overs (Lucy Finn 49*; Caoimhe Bray 4-15) by 24 runs
RELATED STORIES
